JP2003075898A - Camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera equipped with a mechanism having a small occupancy area, having a simplified structure, and indicating the moving position of a moving member and releasing the locked state. SOLUTION: As for the camera, a mode dial 20 which can be rotated cooperatively with a mode setting contact member 23 and an index button 21 for indicating the rotating position of the mode dial 20 and which can be depressed and moved downward are arranged as a mode setting device 10. The index button 21 is firmly fixed to a lock spring 25 for locking the mode dial 20, and when the index button 21 is depressed, the mode dial 20 is released from being locked by the lock spring 25, and the mode dial 20 can be rotated in the released state, then, the mode setting is switched. When the index button 21 is released from being depressed, the mode dial 20 is locked. The occupancy space of the mode setting device 10 is small, then, the miniaturization of the camera is accomplished.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an operating mechanism for a camera or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional device disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 58-63886 relates to a lock device for locking operation dials such as a shutter dial and a film sensitivity setting dial. Is. In this device, a lock release button is arranged in the center of the inside of the operation dial, and the lock of the operation dial can be released by pressing the lock release button. A sign indicating the position of the dial is provided outside the operation dial.

Further, as a conventional operating dial locking device different from the above conventional operating dial locking device, a locking member for locking the operating dial is arranged outside the operating dial, and the operating dial locking device is also provided. The sign part which shows the position of the dial is arranged at another position.

[0004]

However, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 58-63886 mentioned above, since the lock release button for releasing the lock is arranged inside the operation dial, the inside of the dial is arranged. There was a problem that the structure of was complicated and the occupied space became large.
Further, in the above-mentioned another conventional locking device for the operation dial, since the lock member and the sign portion are arranged at different positions, the occupying space also becomes large, which hinders downsizing of the camera and the like. It was

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and provides a camera having a small occupied area and a simple structure for indicating a moving position of a moving member and unlocking the moving member. With the goal.

[0006]

A camera according to claim 1 of the present invention is configured to be movable with a moving member having a plurality of markers, and indicates one of the markers of the moving member. When the movement prohibition of the moving member is canceled and the movement prohibition of the moving member is released, the display member has a display member that is manually operated to move, and the movement of the moving member is prohibited by the display member. The manual operation cancels the prohibition of movement of the moving member.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the display member moves in the vertical direction.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the camera according to the first aspect, the display member moves in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the moving member.

[0009]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of a camera that is a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a mode setting device incorporated in the camera.
FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the mode setting device.

In the camera 1 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a camera lens barrel 12, an AF window 14, and a finder window 13 are provided on the front surface of the camera exterior cover 11.
The strobe light emitting window 15 and the grip portion 11a are arranged. A release operation button 16 and a tele / wide operation button 17 are provided on the upper surface of the camera exterior cover 11.
A liquid crystal display unit 19, a group of operation switch buttons 18, and a mode dial (moving member) that constitutes the mode setting device 10.
20 and an index button 21 (display member) are arranged.

The mode setting device 10 is incorporated in the upper surface of the camera exterior cover 11 as shown in FIGS.
The mode dial 20 rotatably supported, the lock spring 25 to which the index button 21 is fixed, and the contact member 2
A contact support base 22 that supports 3 and rotates integrally with the mode dial 20, and an electric board 24 attached to a board support portion 29 of the camera body.

The mode dial 20 is arranged on the dial surface at a predetermined circumferential interval and has a plurality of markers (displays of moving members) 20e indicating each mode, a cylindrical shaft portion 20d having a notch, and the cylindrical shaft portion. It has a shaft outer peripheral step portion 20a formed at the tip and a square hole portion 20b provided at the tip of the inner shaft.

The mode dial 20 is attached by pressing it into the shaft hole portion 11b of the camera exterior cover 11 from the upper surface side while elastically deforming the cylindrical shaft portion 20d and inserting it. In the attached state, the mode dial 20 is restricted from moving in the vertical direction by the projection 11e of the camera exterior cover and the step portion 20a, and can only rotate.

The step portion 20a at the tip of the cylindrical shaft portion is provided with a plurality of recessed portions 20c serving as locked portions at positions corresponding to the plurality of markers 20e. In addition, the plurality of markers 20e include a marker "S" indicating a shutter priority mode as a marker indicating a mode that can be set, a marker "A" indicating an aperture priority mode, and all the functions of the camera. It consists of a sign "L" indicating that it is in a so-called power-off state where it is stopped.

The lock spring 25 is a leaf spring member which is arranged inside the camera exterior cover 11 so as to extend laterally of the step portion 20a of the mode dial 20. The lock spring 25 is a spring fixing recess 1 inside the camera exterior cover 11.
A fixed end portion 25a that is press-fitted into 1d and fixed, a tip end engaging portion 25b that can be fitted into and engaged with the concave portion 20c of the mode dial 20, and a fixing hole 25c for fixing the index button 21.
And has an indexable button 21 that is elastically deformable in the pressing operation direction (vertical direction).

The index button 21 is fixed to the lock spring 25 and inserted through the insertion hole 11c of the camera outer cover to be projected and assembled on the upper surface of the camera outer cover 11. The index button 21 has a mode dial 2 on the index button 21.
It functions as an index indicating the rotational position of the mode dial 20 by aligning the mark 20e of 0, and further, by pushing down the index button 21 downward, the tip engaging portion 25a of the lock spring and the concave portion 20c of the mode dial are formed. It also has a function of releasing the engagement and unlocking the mode dial 20.

The contact support base 22 on which the contact member 23 is mounted is rotatably supported in a state in which it is prevented from coming off by a step portion 22b with respect to a support hole of an electric board 24, and has an upper end angular shaft portion 22a. The mode dial 20 is held in a state of being fitted in the square hole portion 20b. Therefore, the contact support base 2
2 is rotationally driven integrally with the mode dial 20.

The contact member 23 is attached to the contact support base 22 by inserting the fixing holes 23a into the fixing pins 22c of the contact support base 22 and welding them. The contact member 23 is provided with a contact portion 23b that slides on the electric board 24.

An electric contact pattern is provided on the electric board 24, and the electric contact pattern is formed on the electric contact pattern 2.
The contact point 23b of No. 3 slides to switch the mode switching output signal, which is output to the control section in the camera.

The mode setting operation by the mode setting device 10 incorporated in the camera 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. When the camera 1 is switched to either the shutter priority mode, the aperture priority mode, or the power-off state, first, the index button 21 is pushed down in a direction orthogonal to the rotation direction of the mode dial, so that the concave portion 20c of the mode dial 20 is depressed. And lock spring tip 25b
Is disengaged and the lock is released. In the unlocked state, rotate the mode dial 20 to set the desired marker 2
Set 0e to the index button 21. When the index button 21 is released, the lock spring tip 25b is engaged with the step portion 20c of the mode dial to lock the mode dial 20 at the desired rotation position.

As the mode dial 20 rotates, the contact member 23 supported by the contact support base 22 also rotates integrally, and a mode setting signal corresponding to the desired marker 20e from the electric board 24 or a power source. A signal for turning off is captured by the control unit in the camera.

According to the mode setting device 10 of the camera of this embodiment described above, when the index button 21 functions as an index of the rotational position of the mode dial, and the lock member 25 unlocks the mode dial 20 at the same time. Also functions as a pressing member. Therefore, the space for disposing the mode setting device 10 is small, the mode setting device 10 can be compactly assembled, and the camera can be miniaturized.

Next, a camera according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. It should be noted that FIG.
It is a perspective view showing the appearance of the camera of the embodiment. Figure 5
FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 4 showing a vertical section of a mode setting device incorporated in the camera. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the mode setting device.

The camera 30 of the present embodiment is the same as the first camera described above.
Only the shapes of the index button and the lock member of the mode setting device are different from those of the camera 1 of the above embodiment, and the other configurations are the same. The same components apply the same reference numerals in FIGS. The different parts will be described below.

A mode dial (moving member) of the mode setting device 40 is provided on the upper surface of the camera exterior cover 11 of the camera 30.
An index button (display member) 41 is arranged in the vicinity of 20 and its side (FIG. 4).

As in the case of the mode setting device 10, the mode setting device 40 has a mode dial 20 that can only rotate, a contact support base 22, a lock spring 45 to which an index button 41 is fixed, and the like. Become.

The lock spring 45 is a leaf spring member which is arranged so as to extend to the right side in the X direction of the step portion 20a of the mode dial 20 inside the camera exterior cover 11. The lock spring 45 is a fixed end portion 45 a that is press-fitted and fixed in a spring fixing recess 11 d inside the camera exterior cover 11.
And a tip engaging portion 45b which can be fitted into the concave portion 20c of the mode dial 20 and engaged therewith, a screw insertion hole 45c for fixing the index button 41, a screw insertion hole 45d and a fixed end portion 45.
U-shaped portion 45 formed between a and elastically deformable in the X direction
c and (FIGS. 5 and 6).

The index button 41 is fixed to the lock spring 45 by a screw 46 in a screw hole 41a, slidably inserted in the elongated hole 11e of the camera exterior cover, and projected onto the upper surface of the camera exterior cover 11 to be assembled. . An inclined surface 41b is formed on the upper surface of the index button 41.
The index button 41 functions as an index indicating the rotational position of the mode dial 20 by aligning the marker 20e of the mode dial 20 with the index button 41, and further, the mode dial 20 can be unlocked. That is, when the inclined surface 41b of the index button 41 is pushed and slid in the + X direction, the U-shaped portion 45c of the lock member 45 is elastically deformed, and the tip end engaging portion 45b is removed from the concave portion of the mode dial 20. 20 can be unlocked.

The mode setting operation of the mode setting device 40 incorporated in the camera 30 of the present embodiment configured as described above will be described. When switching the camera 30 to either the shutter priority mode, the aperture priority mode, or the so-called power-off state in which all the functions of the camera are stopped, first, the index button 41 is orthogonal to the rotation direction of the mode dial. Yes, the concave portion 20c of the mode dial 20 and the lock spring tip 45b are disengaged by sliding in the + X direction to bring the lock release state. In the unlocked state, rotate the mode dial 20 to set the desired sign 20e.
To the index button 41. When the pushing of the index button 41 in the + X direction is released, the concave portion 20c of the mode dial is released.
The lock spring tip 45b is engaged with the mode dial 20.
Are locked in the desired rotational position. In that state, a mode setting signal corresponding to the rotational position of the mode dial 20 is fetched by the control unit in the camera.

The mode setting device 40 of the camera of the present embodiment described above can also achieve the same effects as those of the first embodiment, and the size of the camera can be reduced.

Based on the above-described embodiment, (1) the rotating dial and one of the displays that are movably configured and displayed on the dial are instructed, rotation of the dial is prohibited, and movement of the dial is performed. A camera characterized by having a display member that is manually operated to move when the prohibition is released can be proposed.

(2) The camera according to (1) above can be proposed in which the display member is a member that moves in a direction orthogonal to the axis of the dial.

[0033]

As described above, according to the camera of the present invention,
By applying a mechanism with a simple structure and pressing the display member that indicates the moving position of the moving member, it is possible to cancel the movement prohibited state of the moving member. It can be made smaller and the camera can be made compact and compact.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an appearance of a camera that is a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1 showing a vertical section of a mode setting device incorporated in the camera of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a mode setting device of the camera of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the outer appearance of a camera of a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a BB sectional view of FIG. 4 showing a vertical section of a mode setting device incorporated in the camera of FIG. 4;

6 is an exploded perspective view of a mode setting device of the camera of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

20 Mode dial (moving member) 20e …… Sign (display of moving member) 21, 41 ... Index button (display member)

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A moving member having a plurality of indications, and one of the indications of the moving member, which is configured to be movable, is instructed, the movement of the moving member is prohibited, and the movement prohibition of the moving member is released. And a display member that is manually operated to move, and a camera. 2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the display member is a member that moves in the vertical direction. 3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the display member is a member that moves in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the moving member.